Liftoff Adventures

Participate in fun social events such as biking in Simsbury, floating down Farmington River, and touring NBC Connecticut’s newsroom on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. For all activities meet us in front of University Commons at least 15 minutes before the departure time.

Schedule

Sunday, Aug. 27

Floating down the Farmington River

Time: 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Enjoy a relaxing ride with new friends down the Farmington River with breaks & team building activities along the way. There are even two small rapids to navigate in your tube for some added excitement.

A traveling taste of West Hartford

Time: 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Sample the rich cultural traditions of West Hartford as you travel through local restaurants to sample food, learn about ingredients, and see how food is a powerful tool for cultural learning. We will 'travel to different countries' and get a taste for the reasons behind why cuisine so greatly enriches the lives of the people preparing and enjoying it.

Dragon boat experience on Connecticut River

Time: 11:00 a.m.—1:15 p.m. and again at 1:00—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Enjoy a fun afternoon on the scenic Connecticut river paddling Dragon Boats. What is a Dragon Boat, you may ask? Dragon Boats are boats with a traditional Chinese design, typically decorated to resemble a dragon, propelled with paddles by a large crew and used for racing. Have a great time with your classmates in a competitive and fun activity. Happy paddling!.

Connecticut Science Center in downtown Hartford

Time: 12:00—4 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Join Adam Silver, Stephan Bullard, and Jim Shattuck for an interesting and interactive visit to the Connecticut Science Center. Students from all majors are invited. This trip kicks off with a 3D film featuring nature’s greatest predator, the great white shark. We will spend the remaining portion of the afternoon exploring the Science Center and taking part in a team-oriented scavenger hunt.”

Biking in Simsbury

Time: 12:30—2:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Join us for a wonderful ride through lovely historic Simsbury, Conn. We will follow the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail starting in Simsbury and heading north to Granby, Conn. Bicycles, helmets, and water will provided. Students should wear comfortable clothing. We will bike for approximately two hours, which will include a stop for some tasty ice cream!

Writing and Power: Mark Twain House

Time: 12:30—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: American writers show us that writing is key to self-discovery and social change. Satirist Mark Twain, author of Huckleberry Finn, urged nineteen-century America to live up to its ideals of equality, freedom, and justice. Join as we tour the places where this great Hartford writer lived and worked. After the tour, we’ll spend time discussing the power of writing, and then write ourselves, exploring our own experiences and inspirations.

Leadership workshop

Time: 12:30—3:30 p.m. Location:Meet at University CommonsDescription: Learn what it takes to become a leader. Lee Peters, our campus vice president for Student Affairs, and friends will offer insight on becoming leader and discuss opportunities to put those skills right to work as a student leader in more than 100 clubs and organizations on campus.

NBC Connecticut

Time: 12:30—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: There’s no better way to learn about the workings of a newsroom than to experience it first hand! Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the NBC-CT studios, followed by a Q&A session with NBC Commercial Producer, Kurt Davis. Meet UHart alumni who are now working in various capacities with NBC-CT.

Hiking Talcott Mountain

Time: 12:30—3 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Just a short drive from campus stands Talcott Mountain. On top of the long wooded ledge stands Heublein Tower, once a private summer home which allows views as far north as the Berkshires and as far south as the Long Island Sound. Join classmates on the 1.25 mile-hike to the top along a path through the woods and enjoy a break with a view when you get to the top.

Ropes Course and Building Community

Time: 1—3 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Join us for an adventure on the University of Hartford’s Challenge Course where interactive group games, problem, solving initiatives, high and low element challenges await. The emphasis will be on building community and having fun as teams will strategize how to build bridges while island hopping, traversing a cable obstacle course to get to their destination, passing through a Spider’s web to safety, or when swinging on a rope to a nearby platform. Adventure awaits!

Monday, Aug. 28

Hiking Talcott Mountain

Time: 12:30—3 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Talcott Mountain is just a short drive from campus. On top of the long wooded ledge stands Heublein Tower, which allows views as the Berkshires to the North and the Long Island Sound to the South. Join classmates on the 1.25 mile-hike to the top along a path through the woods.

NBC Connecticut

Time: 12:30—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: There’s no better way to learn about the workings of a newsroom than to experience it first hand! Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the NBC-CT studios, followed by a Q&A session with NBC Commercial Producer, Kurt Davis. Meet UHart alumni who are now working in various capacities with NBC-CT.

Ropes Course and Building Community

Time: 1—3 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Join us for an adventure on the University of Hartford’s Challenge Course where interactive group games, problem-solving initiatives, high and low element challenges await. The emphasis will be on building community and having fun, as teams will strategize how to build bridges while island hopping, traversing a cable obstacle course to get to their destination, passing through a spider’s web to safety, or when swinging on a rope to a nearby platform. Adventure awaits.

Day of Service: Homeless Shelter

Time: 10:15 a.m.—2:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Get to know the Hartford community by offering your skills, energy, and compassion in a day of service and learning in our local area. Continue your interest in community service or try it out for the first time. You can be sure your efforts will be appreciated abd meaningful. You will receive a T-Shirt.

Arts in Hartford

Time: 12:30—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Join faculty and staff from The Hartt School and the Hartford Art School to get an inside look at all the great arts resources that Hartford offers. We will visit the Wadsworth Atheneum and The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Travelers Insurance: Claims University and catastrophe management

Time: 12:00—3:30 p.m. Location: Meet at University CommonsDescription: Take an interactive tour and get an inside look at a multi-national, fortune 500 company. Claims University, where Travelers Insurance does much of its claims investigation and research (from recreating car crashes to flooding full-size houses), will give you a new and surprising look at a wide range of occupations available in a large organization. You will also explore their Catastrophe Management Center, designed to coordinate hundreds of people and resources from across the country responding to a disaster (Suggested majors: Business, Computer Science, Communication, Math, and Undecided.)